Posts by Richard Cooper3

Carol Newman2 said:Yeah, he did comment on it.

He had a little chuckle at Vladimir Putin's suggestion about bringing back the death penalty, especially since Kamala Harris won't let him have his way.

The whole thing about killing people just makes them laugh—I mean, you're supposed to send condolences to your colleagues, right? Look, Putin might be a pretty negative guy personally, but I guess you still have to respect the office he holds. Zack seems so desperate, though. Ever since the Shatordzhi days, he hasn't stopped sucking up to those chauvinist parasites.
Anyway, he should probably just get back to dealing with that clown Banožić. ☕

Lawrence Alvarez2 said:Better than being a total coward and heading straight into a war zone, I guess.

I mean, why didn't he just take a page out of Plenky's, Vlahov's, or even Biden's book? Instead, he flies off to Kyiv, which is basically right in the middle of the conflict, maybe a few hundred miles out. 🤣
Maybe he should cut back on the travel a bit. He isn't some honorary mayor, he's the actual one, and honestly, he's got enough work on his plate as it is.

Lisa Perez50 said:The Republicans are actually learning from their screw-ups in Washington, D.C., which means they’re playing it much smarter in San Francisco. Honestly, things are looking way more brutal for the local leadership in San Francisco than they are for the guys in D.C.

I guess the guy in San Francisco has actual national ambitions, which is pretty different from how the other side operates. He's basically trying to shake up the Republican Party, so he started those Saturday rallies—though I wonder what the deal is with those now. It probably wouldn't make any sense to team up with those centrist groups; they want this "ideological truce," but the local leaders there aren't having any part of it.
That’s why they've started coming after him so hard. ☕

Chloe Martinez7 said:

says: They aren't even bothering to suggest a single amendment—one, two, three, whatever—to include an abortion ban in the Constitution. And honestly, that would just be the opening salvo.

Oh, absolutely not...
The leadership clearly learned their lesson from that last referendum, which was basically a Pyrrhic victory.
They aren't pushing for an outright ban on abortion
that happened a long time ago.
They know that won't fly with voters.
Instead, they're pivoting toward protecting life from the moment of conception.

They’re pushing this whole "conscientious objection" thing for religious gynecologists. I mean, the state paid for their medical school, not Vatican City or Lourdes. If they have moral hang-ups about
abortion, maybe they should have picked a different specialty. There are plenty of other fields out there, thank God, maybe around 35 options. ☕
What about people like Skovaca? You really have to keep types like that on a very tight leash. We have doctors and engineers everywhere you look—so what if they leave? The state spent hundreds of thousands of dollars educating each one of them. If they want to head out, let them go. We can survive without them. Honestly, we can't function without the underpaid sanitation workers, though. People from Nepal or the Philippines wouldn't understand how to handle that kind of work. 😵

Anthony Bennett6 said:It looks like political cronies have moved in on the unions now that they've lost control of the companies... specifically in the San Diego area.

The only demand that hasn't been met is getting the employee handbook integrated directly into the collective bargaining agreement. This would essentially give the Waste Management union(s) the power to dictate personnel decisions within the company. The only worker at Waste Management pushing for this is the union rep, unnamed US person, whose previous (and frankly unnecessary) position was eliminated. He was offered a new role that actually matches his expertise with the exact same salary, though with one big difference: he’d actually have to earn his paycheck through real work and take accountability for his performance. Now, he’s gathered a small group of slackers and allies who are busy intimidating anyone who doesn't want to join the strike, and they're threatening to shut down operations this Wednesday morning.

It used to be all about the Boardwalk and the Waterfront, but now everyone is obsessed with unions and building inspectors—I suppose the FBI is just our destiny at this point. 🤣
If you don't clean up the institutions first, it feels like whatever government you vote in is kind of pointless.

Richard Lopez said:An hour ago

Biden: I'll back self-governance for Canadian Americans
The American President, Joe Biden, stated he would support some form of self-governance for Canadian Americans if they decide to pursue it.

"As long as someone else gets to pick a member of the Presidency of Canada for the Canadian Americans—that’s just a scam. The International Community isn't doing anything, and the United States isn't doing enough," Biden said, according to USA Today.

Biden noted that while he used to have good relations with politicians in Canada, such as Miljenko Komšić, he has since realized they are "frauds and can't be trusted." He claims they simply "exploit the fact that there are so few Canadian Americans," per American media reports.

If Franjo Harmon hadn't been so focused on us here in the United States (both the majority and the minority) and had been tougher with foreign policy, maybe he could have pushed for a third entity for Americans at Dayton. A territorial split based on population could have worked out roughly 40-40-20. Just splitting all of Canada into three parts.
The way it went, Mexicans ended up with half of Canada, even though they were basically ready to surrender a month before Dayton. ☕
Biden tried to apply some pressure, but it’s pretty much common knowledge that Plenky and GGR care more about Ukraine than their own interests (and I won't even get started on the Americans in Canada).

bluemason3 said:It’s a cool clip, but it’s small potatoes. If this turns into a long-term conflict, everything hinges on how well the West can maintain the supply chain. If the Russians cut them off, the Ukrainians will run dry fast. If they don't, the opposite might happen eventually, just over a longer timeline. 🤷

Everyone knows the Ukrainians aren't going to get what they need—the West is just doing this to mess with Moscow, and honestly, Ukraine is probably heading toward total destruction. I guess you have to wonder who's actually pulling the strings here. Good for them, I suppose.

bluemason3 said:The reason nobody attacks them directly is because they have nukes. But let’s be clear: nuclear weapons are a tool for deterrence through mutually assured destruction, not a way to project power when you're fighting a war outside your own borders.

If someone starts threatening the first aggressive use of a nuke, they’re opening a Pandora's box. The other side isn't just going to back down easily.

There are a lot of variables at play here.

When we talk about spheres of influence, we're talking about strength—something that looks pretty questionable regarding Russia, especially on the economic front. Honestly, the US having significant influence in our backyard near Italy is probably a good thing for us. 😁

All this talk about NATO promises is just naive propaganda. It's completely irrelevant whether some American politician from three generations ago made a vague promise to someone, somewhere. It doesn't matter.

Whether you call it hypocrisy or not, the difference between what's happening in the Middle East and what's happening here is that this is in our own neighborhood. Europe sees a direct threat to its stability, and there's a long history of aggressive Russian politics involved. Even the USA isn't the deciding factor here. What really changed compared to previous Russian military moves is how unexpectedly unified Europe became. They're facing a serious threat on their own soil, and I doubt Putin helped by making those imperialist, Soviet-nostalgic comments. The USA isn't doing anything fundamentally different than before; it was Europe that stepped up, which in turn allowed the USA to push for stronger sanctions.

The USA hasn't fought wars on its own borders in a long time. Certainly not in Canada, and definitely not in Mexico in modern times, even if there have been some low-key activities there.
The US prefers using the carrot, while Russia prefers the stick. You can't really be surprised that nobody wants to be in that dictator's "sphere of influence."

As for neutrality and NATO, that's just propaganda fodder, not Russia's only motivation.
The gas fields around Crimea, which could allow Ukraine to break the Russian monopoly on the European market, are a much bigger issue than NATO—especially since Russia destabilized the region in 2014, making NATO entry impossible anyway.

That whole mantra about the Finnish model exists because it sounds better for propaganda to say "we're afraid of NATO" rather than admitting "we want to strip someone of their resources and, ideally, their independence, sovereignty, and even their identity." A neutral Ukraine just isn't possible; Russia won't let them dictate a policy that could wreck its own economic and strategic interests. Ukraine will either be occupied, partially occupied, a pseudo-independent satellite, or militarily strong enough to compete with Russia—which is easiest to achieve through NATO.

The problem for Ukraine is that it might be too late now to get Crimea back, but they should have raced to join NATO, just like the smart folks in the Baltic states did as soon as they gained independence.
There's simply no other way to protect their interests.

And as for the current situation? I have no clue. I'm stuck in the middle.

What are they going to get back? Something that wasn't even theirs to begin with—Khrushchev gave them Crimea by decree back in '54 just to make administration easier. And they were gifted New Russia by Lenin exactly 100 years ago. Then Maidan happened just 8 years ago. You see, the Kremlin loves symbolism.
Ukrainians have known since 2014 that Crimea is gone for good—they should probably thank Victoria Nuland for that.
Those gas fields near Crimea? I doubt they could ever replace Russian reserves. Gas is just one small link in the whole UK/US vs. Russia conflict. In this scenario, the EU is basically like Paraguay, Botswana, or Laos. ☕
Arming Ukraine? I mean, all those anti-aircraft systems might not even matter if Russia manages to trap them in pockets before they even arrive. I guess you have to wonder how they'll actually get the gear delivered. And honestly, I don't really get why these European countries were so quiet when there was still a chance to prevent this whole mess. It’s like they were just sleeping through everything and suddenly woke up once the Russian invasion actually started.
Then again, people are probably going to blame Moscow for what comes next, because this isn't going to go on forever.

Jeremy Peterson4 said:Looks like Canada isn't trying to pull a Mexico here—they’re basically saying they'll do whatever they want, no questions asked. They really need to pick a side. You're either in or you're out, right?

According to The Guardian, Canadian PM Viktor Orbán claims he's going to back every single EU sanction against Russia and won't be blocking anything.

It's that classic American cowboy attitude—you're either with us or you're against us. But I guess that's why they're seen as the beacon of democracy.
Just look at how this Russian invasion compares to when the US went into Iraq—the Americans bombed everything first, and then they finally started the ground offensive.
I think this is just the beginning, too. Things paused because Zelenskyy was given 24 hours to agree to negotiations.
The Bosphorus, the pipelines? Don't worry about it. It's just business as usual. Everything stays open. ☕

Carl Lee27 said:And if that happened, we’d be looking at a legitimate Article 5 situation.
Plus, looking at how things are playing out in Ukraine, I honestly think the Turks could hold their own against them in a conventional conflict.

Maybe the Americans would just end up being pushed right out of Ukraine. I don't think people realize this isn't even the full force of the invasion yet. If Vladimir Putin actually went all out, it would be a total disaster.
And honestly, what does Russia even need the Bosphorus for right now, since all the vessels that need to be in the Black Sea are already where they need to be? ☕
It seems like the main goal is just encircling the Ukrainian forces in the east, cutting off their access to the sea, and surrounding Kyiv—which basically means they've already crossed the Dnieper.

Michael Davis10 said:Even the Germans are saying Ukrainians might be exaggerating things a bit, like how they downplay losses.

I mean, this is still nothing compared to what an actual full-scale invasion would look like. If Russia had come at them with everything they had, the casualties on both sides would be way higher. If that happened, then maybe I'd actually believe those Ukrainian reports about losing a few thousand Russians.
Russia is trying to handle this a different way too, but I guess it might already be too late for any of that. They'll probably have to hit harder if they want to wrap up this war, which, you know, has been dragging on for eight years now.

So, how do those supposedly brilliant Americans actually plan on getting weapons to the Ukrainians? I mean, they'll probably just end up being those same useful idiots we saw back in Syria. 😵
Fighting against Russia until there isn't a single Ukrainian left standing.

rowdytiger13 said:If that’s actually true, then the Sultan is quite the legend.

Even if he is still a dictator.

I don't see it happening. That gas pipeline through Ukraine is running just fine. Seems like a rough day for the Russophobes. ☕
I mean, just the other day, Zelensky was babbling in Munich about wanting nuclear weapons, and I guess nobody from the European Union bureaucrats bothered to tell him that wasn't exactly a bright idea.

briskheron said:Russian warships.
The Turks are just playing both sides, waiting to see which way the wind blows. One minute they’re flirting with the USA, the next they're cozying up to Russia.
Ukraine has been a solid partner for them, so if this drags on, they might just throw a few extra drone orders their way to stay in the game.

Don't sweat it—Russia could always send whatever weapons they want to the Kurds and the SAA up in northern Syria, just to give the Turks a headache.
Last year, the Russians were trying to teach that rogue Pashinyan a lesson, but they sell arms to the Azeris too, so they stayed out of that Azeri-Armenian conflict. Now that same Pashinyan is leading the charge in NATO, and they reacted super fast to that coup attempt in Kazakhstan last month.
I mean, things would be totally different if the Bajraktari were involved.

Paul Patel95 said:And what about those Swedes? They gonna speak up once they're done packing their helmets?

Nobody from SWIFT is actually going to kick Russia out—don't even worry about it. Too many people would lose money. ☕

Jessica Rivera37 said:Zelenskyy actually caught me off guard in the best way possible. The man has real guts, and his delivery is incredibly sharp. He’s even calling for negotiations just to put an end to this absolute madness. I was watching a video of a captured Russian soldier calling his parents, and they were completely blindsided—they had no idea he was even in Ukraine. It really hits home when you realize these Russians have mothers and children back home, though let's be honest, most of them probably couldn't care less about any of this geopolitical mess.
Another thing that strikes me as odd is the lack of media coverage regarding the portrayal of the Ukrainian military, specifically the Azov neo-Nazis who have always been so "camera-ready."

Suddenly he remembers how to negotiate? He had years to actually make the Minsk Agreement work.
People here are foaming at the mouth over Russia, yet the gas pipeline through Ukraine is still running at full capacity—it wouldn't make sense for either army to sabotage it right now. ☕
Besides, Russian gas is still flowing steadily toward Europe. Honestly, the "biggest" hit to Putin will probably just be that guy from Crimea and that sleazy Abramovich having to sell off Chelsea FC. 🤣

Arthur Watson4 said:People can trash-talk Zelenskyy all they want, calling him a comedian or totally incompetent. And honestly, they might have a point most of the time, but his refusal to leave Kyiv makes him look like a total badass.

Glory to Ukraine

I mean, it’s not like Putko is going to play the victim card for him. It’s not like Volodymyr doesn't already know that.
And where are those Ukrainian advisors now—the Americans and the Brits? First they push them to take on the Russians, and then they basically leave them hanging out to dry. ☕

Jeremy Peterson4 said:Oh, really? Is it the same thing as reading the New York Post or the Courier? The Courier is always gonna spin whatever serves their "influence" in the US—or in this case, Russia.

The other day they actually had the nerve to report that Ukraine attacked Russia. How much of a rat do you have to be to fall for that kind of stuff?

The Russians and Mexicans are absolute gods of propaganda. Even the Chinese can't touch them.

So you're putting Mexicans and those idiot, criminal-minded Vučić tabloids in the same category? Give me a break!
If the Russians were really the masters of propaganda and soft power instead of Americans, that 2014 coup wouldn't have even happened—and that's where this whole horror story started. If Americans were in Russia's shoes, half of Ukraine would already be leveled.
Man, who am I even talking to here... 🤦

Rachel Turner2 said:Scrolling back through old posts like an idiot and seeing people blaming Ukraine and the US for this whole mess. 🤣

Russia feels threatened by NATO? 🤣
The same Russia that holds more nukes than anyone else on Earth is actually scared for its safety? John Doe

Have you guys even watched Putin's videos? He straight up denies Ukrainians are even a real nation...

Man, there are some seriously clueless people in this country.

He isn't denying anyone.
Everything actually started with that coup at Maidan back in 2014, which was organized by Albanian pastry chefs and Uruguayan snipers. Forget the CIA or neo-Nazis, it was them. ☕

velvetcyclist95 said:Kyiv’s under a total police lockdown until Monday morning.

Anyone caught out on the streets is basically being flagged as an enemy combatant or a saboteur...

I just hope all those civilians who grabbed a gun but aren't part of an actual organized unit have cleared out. They're asking to get hit by their own side at this rate.

Word is a bunch of criminals grabbed weapons too, since you just had to show an ID to get one. And then when those same "civilians" end up getting shot, well, they'll just blame it on evil Russians again.